EP1407535A1

EP1407535A1 - Position detection

Info

Publication number: EP1407535A1
Application number: EP02737722A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Julian Yeandel; Simone Gafner; Michael Krieftewirth; Beat Steffen
Original assignee: Tecpharma Licensing AG
Current assignee: Tecpharma Licensing AG
Priority date: 2001-07-09
Filing date: 2002-07-02
Publication date: 2004-04-14
Also published as: JP2004535590A; DE10133216A1; WO2003009461A1; US20040207385A1; JP2009050709A; DE10133216B4; US7138806B2

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for detecting the position of a rotor (1), relative to a stator (2), with at least one electrode (3) on the rotor and at least one electrode (4) on the stator, arranged such that the electrodes (3, 4) at least partially overlap in at least one rotational position of the rotor (1) relative to the stator (2). The invention also relates to a method for measuring the rotational position of a rotor (1), with at least one electrode, (3) relative to a stator (2), with at least one electrode (4), whereby the rotation is detected as a result of the capacitive coupling of the rotor electrode (3) to the stator electrode (4) and a device for detecting the axial displacement of a displaceable element (1; D, G), by means of a measuring device (K; E, R), which can detect the position of the displaceable element (1; D, G).

Description

position detection

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for detecting the position of one element relative to another element, in particular for detecting the position of a rotor relative to a stator, the invention being particularly directed to a device for metered dispensing of a liquid, in particular in the medical field eg refers to an infusion or injection device, wherein the set dose of the dispensed or dispensed liquid by the relative position of the rotor, such. a threaded rod, to the stator, e.g. a housing or a so-called "pen", can be determined. Generally, a dose to be dispensed from a pen is determined by rotating e.g. set a Dosierknopfes and delivered by then pressing the Dosierknopfes.

For the most accurate possible dosage of a medical instrument, often referred to as a "pen" to be dispensed liquid, such as insulin, hormone preparations or the like, it is necessary to monitor the adjustment of a dose can, for example, at a wrong dosage to issue warning signals or to prevent the levy. Since usually a setting is made by rotating a rotor located in a housing of the pen, which is usually provided with a thread, the feed of the rotor can be determined from the set for setting the dose rotations and thus a dose to be dispensed or delivered can be determined.

Known devices for measuring this rotational movement are based on mechanical principles and are therefore complicated to implement and relatively inaccurate. It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and a method for detecting the position of a first element, eg a rotor relative to a second element, eg a stator, which can be realized relatively easily and enable position detection with high accuracy.

This object is solved by the subject matters of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments will be apparent from the dependent claims.

For the purposes of the invention, rotor is understood to mean a rotatable element which can be moved or displaced in its rotational position and / or axial position relative to a stator. The terms rotor and stator are to be understood in the context of the invention so that these two elements can be moved relative to each other, without it matters whether only the rotor, only the stator or both elements are moved simultaneously. To simplify the description, it is assumed below of a rotor located in the stator, but the rotor does not have to be completely surrounded by the stator or even lie outside of the stator and can surround it if necessary.

The device according to the invention for detecting the position of a rotor relative to a stator has at least one electrode which is arranged on the rotor. In this case, the electrode may be embedded on the outside of the rotor or in the rotor, wherein, for example, a dielectric may be provided on the electrode. Furthermore, at least one electrode is provided on the stator, which may also be freely accessible or coated with suitable layers. The arrangement of the electrodes on the rotor and the stator is erfϊndungsgemäß so that in a relative movement between the rotor and stator, in particular a rotational movement of the rotor relative to the stator, the respective electrodes at a certain relative position of the rotor and stator overlap at least partially, so that a capacitive coupling of the electrodes is obtained. From this capacitive coupling of the at least one rotor electrode and the at least one stator electrode, the relative position of the rotor to the stator can be determined, for example, by the degree of overlap of the respective electrodes and the thus changing capacitive coupling is determined in which relative position rotor and stator to each other. The electrodes are preferably firmly connected to the rotor and the stator.

In principle, a large number of configurations of the geometries of the rotor and stator electrodes is conceivable, preference being given to those embodiments which allow an absolute statement as regards a rotational angle of the rotor relative to the stator. For this purpose, for example, the rotor and / or stator electrode may be formed so that it has a different width depending on the position on the circumference. For example, the rotor electrode may be in the form of an equilateral triangle, which is placed around the outside of a cylindrical rotor, that the base of the triangle is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rotor and the tip of the rotating around the circumference of the rotor triangle back to the Base of the triangle is present. Such an electrode has a width which changes continuously around the circumference of the rotor. If a stator electrode extending over only a part of the stator is placed opposite such a rotor electrode, the result is a capacitive coupling which varies linearly as a function of the relative rotational position, so that the angular position of the rotor can be determined on the basis of the measured capacitive coupling of these electrodes can be determined relative to the stator.

However, even with simpler geometries of the electrodes, the position of the rotor can be detected by e.g. equidistant around the circumference at the rotor and / or stator electrodes are arranged.

Other embodiments of the invention are contemplated which use more than one electrode on the rotor and / or the stator to allow more accurate or easier position detection. In particular, it is advantageous to provide at least two electrodes on the stator, which can be coupled to at least one electrode of the rotor, since the rotor electrode is capacitively coupled to one or both stator electrodes as a function of the rotational position and thus a measurement is made can, without the rotatably mounted rotor electrode, for example by means of sliding contacts with to interconnect the stator electrodes. The rotor can thus be rotatably mounted without direct electrical contact, wherein the position detection can be made solely due to the capacitive coupling of the at least one rotor electrode with the at least two stator electrodes.

Preferably, the rotor and stator electrodes are arranged so that a capacitor bridge structure can be realized with it. In general, a capacitor bridge will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 1 shows a series connection of two capacitors C 1 and C 2, wherein the total voltage applied across both capacitors V total ⁼ V 1 + N 2; V! and V ₂ are the voltages dropped across the respective capacitors C ₁ and C ₂ . For the ratio of the voltage Ni to the total voltage NTotal, the following applies:

Ni / NGesa _m t = C2 / (Cl + C2) ... Equation (1)

Advantageously, the device according to the invention is designed such that one of the capacitors of the capacitor bridge is formed by the capacitively coupled rotor and stator electrodes, wherein furthermore a reference capacitor is provided. The reference capacitor may for example be provided externally, for example on the stator, or be formed by further rotor and stator electrodes. In particular, it is advantageous to connect one side of the reference capacitor to a stator electrode in order to thus have to attach as few electrical connections to the rotating rotor as possible.

It can be seen from the above equation that the capacitance change of one of two capacitors connected in series causes a change in the voltage across this capacitor. By using a reference capacitor, the measurement of the capacitance or capacitance change can thus be simplified by carrying out a voltage measurement in a known manner. With a suitable arrangement and design of rotor and stator electrodes, it is even not necessary to measure the absolute value of the voltage occurring at an electrode or a capacitor in order to determine a position. to be able to. It may be sufficient to compare the voltage applied to an electrode or a capacitor with a reference value, for example by means of a comparator, and thus to obtain a statement as to whether the voltage applied to the capacitor or the potential of a capacitor electrode is above or below the reference value lies. This is particularly advantageous since the elements used in medical instruments are relatively small and consequently the changes in capacitance occurring in the case of relative movements between the rotor and stator electrodes are relatively small and lie in the picofarad range. For example, when a capacitance change is measured by comparing a changing voltage with a reference value and outputting a binary signal indicating whether the voltage is above or below the reference value, it is not necessary to determine the absolute value of the capacitance change , As a result, the measurement can be simplified. With a suitable arrangement and design of rotor and stator electrodes, a statement regarding a rotational position or direction of rotation can be obtained from binary signals thus generated.

Particularly preferably, two, three, four or more electrodes are provided on the rotor and / or stator, which can be arranged offset to one another in the radial and / or axial direction, so as to have different capacitive couplings depending on the relative position from rotor to stator allow, based on which the position determination can be made. In this case, individual electrodes may be formed so that regardless of the relative position of the rotor and stator always a substantially constant coupling can be obtained, for example, to couple certain constant voltages. The individual electrodes preferably have a different geometry depending on their function, for example, electrodes may be provided on the rotor and / or stator, which have a different length axial extent or width at a defined length in the circumferential direction. Electrodes may also be formed so that they extend with constant or varying width around the entire circumference of the rotor and / or the stator.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the rotor electrodes are relatively simply formed, for example, as two mutually opposite electrical from each other separate teilringformige or semi-annular elements, which are arranged on the circumference of a substantially cylindrical rotor. On the outer surface of the rotor opposite inner surface of the stator, which preferably has a substantially constant distance from the outer surface of the rotor, are distributed in the circumferential direction of the stator two, three, four or more electrodes, preferably evenly distributed about the axis of rotation of the rotor or symmetrical with respect to the Rotary axis of the rotor provided. The stator electrodes can also each have or in pairs mutually different surfaces, thus allowing different capacitive couplings depending on the relative position of the rotor electrodes to the stator electrodes. Thereby, a relatively simple design of the rotor can be obtained in comparison to this more complex design of the stator or the stator electrodes, care should be taken in such an embodiment that clear statements regarding the rotational position of the rotor relative to the stator are possible.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the opposite route is followed, d. H. the stator electrodes are made relatively simple, while the rotor electrodes have a more complex structure. In this case, for example, two electrodes can be provided on the stator, which can be capacitively coupled to a plurality of electrodes on the rotor as a function of the relative position or rotational position.

As is shown in an embodiment in FIG. 6A, three rotor electrodes are particularly preferably provided, wherein a first rotor electrode has an annular section encircling the rotor and an adjoining partial or half-ring section. The partial ring section points in the direction of the second and third rotor electrodes, wherein the third rotor electrode as well as the first rotor electrode has a ring section and a subsequent partial or semi-annular section, which is offset by 180 ° with respect to the partial ring section of the first electrode and facing the first electrode. Between the first and third electrode, the second electrode is arranged, which also has a circumferential annular portion with two adjoining partial or half-ring sections, wherein the first partial ring section in the direction of the first Electrode extends and the second partial ring section extends in the direction of the second electrode, wherein the two partial ring sections are preferably arranged offset by 180 ° from each other. Particularly preferably, the first, second and third rotor electrode are formed so that these three electrodes can be applied almost completely covering a portion of the stator, ie that these electrodes engage with each other and only a comparatively small preferably constant portion between the respective electrodes. However, it must be ensured that the individual electrodes are electrically isolated from each other. On the stator, electrodes are disposed opposite to the respective circumferential annular regions of the rotor electrodes, which may, for example, be annular or teilringfδrmig so as to allow a defined capacitive coupling at any rotational position in a defined manner. Thus, for example, the first and third electrodes can be acted upon by a first potential, while the second central electrode is acted upon by a second potential. For example, the first potential may be ground and the second potential may be a supply voltage of, for example, 5V. Two pairs of electrodes, which are offset in the axial direction, are preferably arranged on the stator such that these pairs of electrodes lie opposite the intermeshing partial ring areas of the rotor electrodes. Advantageously, the first and second partial ring regions of the second rotor electrode have a different length corresponding to the respectively opposite partial ring regions of the first and third rotor electrodes offset by 180 °, which corresponds approximately to the respective length of the respective associated stator-electrode pairs. Particularly preferably, the individual elements of the stator electrodes are offset by approximately 90 ° to each other, wherein advantageously the elements of a stator-electrode pair are in axial extension to the elements of the other electrode pair. The arrangement shown in Figure 6A allows a relatively large overlap of the respective electrode surfaces at different rotational positions in order to obtain the largest possible capacitive coupling between the rotor and stator electrodes.

Preferably, at least one locking position of the rotor is provided relative to the stator, in which the rotor is in a defined position, for example after a setting operation. Advantageously, a plurality of latching positions, in particular at constant intervals, are present, which can suitably lock the rotor in such a way that, during the transition to an adjacent latching position, the latching position is minimized. at least one rotor and / or stator electrode opposite to another electrode of the stator or rotor, so as to cause a reversal of at least one electrode.

According to a further aspect of the invention, which may also be used independently of the embodiments described above, a displacement of a displaceable element, e.g. of the rotor detected longitudinally relative to the stator. It is not necessary that a rotary motion is performed.

Such relative movements occur in particular when administering a liquid by means of a pen by pressing the Dosierknopfes, which causes a displacement of the rotor or a threaded rod in the axial direction. In order to detect whether the axial movement of the rotor or a threaded rod is sufficient to administer a required or set amount, a detection of the axial movement of a rotor or a threaded rod is proposed according to the invention.

According to a first embodiment, the position detection can be carried out by means of a pressure and / or force sensor, on which a with the displaceable element, e.g. press the dosing knob or the threaded rod coupled element, such as a rod or a spring. If the axial movement is too small, it can be determined from a voltage signal output by the pressure or force sensor, for example a piezoelectric element, that the axial movement was still insufficient to deliver a desired dose. For example, a warning signal can then be output or the delivery of the dose can be prevented.

According to a further embodiment, an electrode may be provided, which is coupled to the Dosierknopf, the threaded rod or another displaceable in the axial direction element. With this electrode can be tapped, for example on a non-displaceable electrical resistance in response to the axial displacement at a certain position, a voltage which is characteristic of a particular position of Dosierknopfes or a threaded rod in order to determine the position of this voltage. According to a further embodiment of the invention, a capacitive coupling between an axially displaceable element and a relative thereto fixed element take place, wherein based on the change in capacitance, a position detection can be made.

Advantageously, the device according to the invention is designed in such a way that in at least one position, e.g. upon complete depression of the dose knob or in its home position, latching or outputting a user perceivable signal to indicate delivery of the desired dose.

In the method according to the invention for measuring the rotational position of a rotor provided with at least one electrode relative to a stator provided with at least one electrode, the rotational position is determined from the capacitive coupling between the rotor and stator electrodes. In particular, in this case, a capacitance measurement can be carried out by measuring a charging or discharging current and / or by measuring a voltage.

Preferably, the voltage to be applied to a rotor / stator electrode pair is used as the quantity to be measured, which voltage is advantageously compared with a reference voltage, for example by means of a comparator. In this case, a peak value detection can be carried out, wherein when exceeding or falling below a certain limit, a signal change occurs and thus binary signals can be generated. This peak detection can also take place during a charge or discharge current measurement of the capacitor formed by the electrodes.

Particularly preferably, the electrodes with associated measuring arrangement are designed so that an error detection and / or error correction can be made, for example, starting from a measured actual state only two possible neighboring states are defined or are, which is a shift or rotation of the rotor in one direction or the other. If a signal is detected which corresponds to an invalid or not provided state, then an error signal can be output which indicates an error in the position detection. Optionally, an error correction can be made depending on the permissible measurement signals used.

Advantageously, one or more of the electrodes used may be made of metal or a conductive or magnetizable plastic. Suitable plastics are e.g. made by adding carbon (soot) metal elements, Fe powder or the like. Conductive plastics can e.g. be applied in the z-k injection molding process.

The invention will be described below with reference to preferred embodiments. Show it:

FIG. 1 shows a capacitor bridge circuit;

FIG. 2A shows a rotor-stator arrangement with electrodes according to a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2B shows the equivalent circuit diagram of the arrangement shown in FIG. 2A;

FIG. 2C shows output signals of a voltage measurement carried out with the device shown in FIG. 2A at four rotational positions;

FIG. 3 shows a rotor-stator arrangement according to a second embodiment of the invention;

Figures 4A to 4D is a schematic representation of a third embodiment of the invention in four different rotational positions;

Figures 5A and 5B is a schematic illustration of a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6A shows a device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 6B is a schematic representation of the device shown in Figure 6A;

FIG. 7 is a state transition diagram for illustrating the error detection according to the present invention; 8 shows a first embodiment of a device for detecting a

Longitudinal movement; and 9 shows a second embodiment of a device for detecting a

Longitudinal movement.

Figure 2A schematically shows a threaded rod 1, which serves as a rotor according to the invention and is rotatably mounted in a pen or stator 2, wherein four rotor electrodes are arranged on the rotor 1 in the circumferential direction offset by 90 °, wherein in FIG 2A three rotor electrodes 3 a, 3b, and 3 c can be seen. The rotor electrodes have an approximately equal width in the circumferential direction and have four different lengths in the axial direction. The two stator electrodes 4a and 4b are substantially equal in their dimensions and arranged offset in the axial direction on the inside of the stator 2. In the position shown in FIG. 2A, the rotor electrode 3c faces the stator electrodes 4a and 4b and extends in the axial direction approximately from the outer edge of the left stator electrode 4a along its entire axial length to approximately the right outer edge of the second stator electrode 4b, whereby a relatively good capacitive coupling between the rotor electrode 3 c and the stator electrodes 4a and 4b is obtained. If the rotor 1 is rotated so that the rotor electrode 3a is opposed to the stator electrodes 4a and 4b, the capacitive coupling is deteriorated because the rotor electrode 3a has a smaller length in the axial direction than the rotor electrode 3c.

FIG. 2B schematically shows the equivalent electrical circuit diagram of the device shown in FIG. 2A, wherein the capacitive coupling between the stator electrode 4a and the rotor electrode 3c can be regarded as a first capacitor C ₄₃ which is connected in series with a second capacitor C ₄₃ is formed by the capacitively coupled electrodes 3 c and 4 b. If the overlapping area of the rotor and stator electrodes decreases, this represents a reduction in the total capacitance formed by the capacitors C ₄₃ and C ₃ , which is the case, for example, when the shorter rotor electrode 3a is the stator electrodes 4a and 4b is opposite. If this total capacitance C 1 formed by the capacitors C ₄₃ and C _{34 is} connected in series with a reference capacitor C 2, then according to the above equation (1), in the case of the interconnection shown in FIG. 1, a measuring arrangement results, with which a current between the capacitors at the Point P applied voltage Measuring device is obtained upon rotation of the rotor 1 in the stator 2 qualitatively the voltage waveform shown in Figure 2C for the four rotational positions, in which the rotor electrodes 3 are opposed to the stator electrodes 4, wherein the four different voltage levels through the four different lengths formed rotor electrodes 3 are caused.

FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, wherein, in contrast to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2A, there is provided a further annular electrode 3d formed around the rotor 1, which faces two stator electrodes 4c and 4d offset in the circumferential direction. By means of these additional electrodes 3d, 4c and 4d, a reference capacitor C2 can be formed as a series connection of the capacitor 4c, 3d with the capacitor 3d, 4d, which coincides with that through the stator electrodes 4a, 4b and the rotor electrodes 3a to 3c formed capacitor Cl as shown in Figure 1 is connected in series. The embodiment shown in Figure 3 enables a more stable measurement due to the lower dependence of the voltage measured at point P on a deviation of the rotor 1 with respect to its coaxial position with respect to the stator 2, i. For example, if the rotor 1 approaches the stator electrodes 4a and 4b due to an irregularity, not only the capacitance C1 formed by these electrodes but also the capacitance of the capacitor C2 formed across the stator electrodes 4c and 4d increases, so that measurement variations can be reduced.

Figures 4A to 4D show schematically an electrode assembly according to a third embodiment of the invention in four different rotated by 90 ° to each other positions. Below the respective rotational positions, the associated electrical connections of the corresponding capacitors formed by the electrodes are shown. The approximately semi-annular on the rotor opposite electrodes are denoted by 0 and V, wherein the electrode 0 is at ground potential and the electrode V at a supply voltage. It can be seen from FIG. 4A that the electrodes A and B arranged on the stator, which are arranged offset by approximately 90 ° relative to one another, both face the electrode O in a first rotational position of the rotor and thus both are capacitively coupled to ground potential. Consequently, the results under the schematic Rotor-stator view shown equivalent electrical circuit, according to which the capacitors formed by means of the stator electrode A and B are both unilaterally grounded. If the potential applied to the electrodes A and B is compared, for example, by means of a comparator with a reference voltage, which is preferably half the potential of the electrode V, the binary value 0 is applied to the two stator electrodes A and B. If the rotor is rotated by 90 ° to the right, as shown in Figure 4B, the stator electrode B is further at 0 potential, while the stator electrode A is now the rotor electrode V opposite and capacitively coupled thereto, so that the electrode A is at a higher potential, shown schematically by the electrical equivalent circuit diagram. Using a comparator, the binary value 1 can be obtained for the stator electrode A. Upon further rotation of the rotor by 90 ° results in the arrangement shown in Figure 4C, wherein the stator electrodes A and B are both brought to the binary value 1. FIG. 4D shows the state during further rotation of the rotor through 90 °, so that the stator electrode A is again at the 0 potential, while the stator electrode B is coupled to the potential of the rotor electrode V. Accordingly, for each of the four rotational positions, a two-digit binary code = AB can be formed from the binary values determined by means of the stator electrodes A, B. For a state, for example the rotational position shown in FIG. 4A, there are only two valid neighbor states, namely the states shown in FIGS. 4B and 4D. A state transition diagram for the four positions shown in FIGS. 4A to 4D is shown in FIG. The arrows represent the permissible state transitions, so that, for example, when passing from state 00 to state 11, there is obviously an error which can be detected. If, for example, the rotor is designed mechanically such that it locks in each case after a rotation through 90 °, then the stable states shown in FIGS. 4A to 4D can be obtained.

FIGS. 5A and 5B show a fourth embodiment of the present invention, in which, unlike the third embodiment shown in FIG. 4, four stator electrodes A, B, A 'and B' are provided which are each arranged offset by approximately 90 °. If the electrodes A and A ', as well as the electrodes B and B' electrically connected together, as shown in the adjacent electrical equivalent circuit diagrams, so a capacitor bridge circuit can be formed. Are the surfaces of the electrodes A, B of the Areas of the electrodes A ', B' different, the different rotational positions of the rotor can be clearly detected. If the rotor is rotated from the position 1 indicated by the point P in FIG. 5A by 90 ° to the right to the position 2, then with respect to the electrodes A, A 'there is no change in the electrical connection. However, a polarity reversal occurs with respect to the electrodes B, B ', which can be measured or converted by means of a comparator into a binary signal.

Although various embodiments of binary coding have been described by way of example, it is to be understood that a variety of other embodiments of the invention are contemplated, such as using a multi-digit code, wherein the number and position of the rotor and / or stator electrodes can be varied.

Figure 6A shows a fifth embodiment of the present invention, wherein three rotor electrodes 3a, 3b, 3c are provided, and wherein the electrodes each have an annular element facing the stator electrodes 4e, 4f and 4g, while at the electrodes 3a and 3c, a half-ring-shaped electrode element is still provided which corresponds to corresponding semi-annular electrode elements of the electrode 3b on the rotor 1, wherein the semi-annular electrode elements of the electrodes 3a and 3c have a different length, corresponding to the semi-annular electrode elements of the electrode 3b. According to these different lengths, the electrode pairs 4a, 4b, and 4c, 4d are provided on the stator, which are offset from each other in the axial direction, wherein the electrodes 4a, 4b and 4c, 4d are arranged rotated by about 90 ° from each other. By means of the electrodes 4e, 4f and 4g can be coupled in each rotational position of the rotor 1 continuously a voltage in the rotor electrodes 3a, 3b and 3c. The stator electrodes 4 a, 4 b, and 4 c, 4 d can be determined for measuring the rotational position of the rotor 1, since these electrodes are in each case opposite to the preferably differently polarized semi-annular elements of the respective rotor electrodes as a function of the rotational position. The device shown in FIG. 6A is particularly advantageous due to the large surface overlap of the electrodes, since this makes it possible to achieve strong capacitive couplings, which leads to a greater signal strength. As can be seen from the schematic arrangement of FIG. 6B, the outer rotor electrodes 3 a and 3 c are coupled to ground potential by means of the stator electrodes 4e and 4g, while the rotor electrode 3b is coupled to a supply voltage via stator electrode 4f. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 6A, for convenience, the electrodes 4a, 4c, 4b, 4d are labeled A, A ', B and B'. The rotor electrodes 3a, 3b and 3c are arranged so that the stator electrodes A and A ', on the one hand, and B and B', on the other hand, lie opposite oppositely poled rotor electrodes. A rotor rotation can in turn be detected by measuring or converting the potentials at the stator electrodes A, A ', B and B'.

Figure 8 shows a first embodiment of another aspect of the present invention for detecting the longitudinal movement of a displaceable element, e.g. a rotor or a threaded rod. Usually, in the case of a pen, a dose to be dispensed is initially set by means of a rotational movement which can be detected as described above, whereupon the set dose is released by means of an axial or longitudinal movement by pressure on the dosing button D. According to the Dosierknopf D is connected to a coil spring S, which presses on the force sensor K. From the force measured with the force sensor K, it is possible to deduce the path traveled by the dosing button in the direction of movement shown by the arrow, the force being greater the farther the button is pressed. For this purpose, for example, a force F measured by the force sensor K can be converted into a voltage U, which is compared by means of a comparator with a reference value. If it is determined that a certain limit value is not exceeded by the force F measured by means of the force sensor K, then a warning signal can be output, which indicates that the set dose was not or not completely dispensed.

FIG. 9 shows an alternative of the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, wherein an electrical resistor R is arranged running parallel to the dosing button D or the threaded rod G and which can be arranged, for example, on the inside of a housing shell. A tapping electrode E connected to the threaded rod G or the dosing knob D is displaced along the resistance R during a longitudinal movement. If the potential of the tap electrode E is measured with respect to one of the end points of the resistor R, then From this potential, the absolute position of the Dosierknopfes or the threaded rod are determined, which allows a conclusion on the delivered amount of medication.

In general, statements about actual discharge quantities can be made with the embodiments shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. In this case, e.g. a warning signal is issued if a set dose has not been completely delivered and / or an actual delivered dose is determined to deliver the remaining amount in another administration procedure.

Claims

Position detection patent claims

Device for detecting the position of a rotor (1) relative to a stator (2), wherein at least one electrode (3) is arranged on the rotor (1) and at least one electrode (4) is arranged on the stator (2) the electrodes (3, 4) at least partially overlap at least one rotational position of the rotor (1) relative to the stator (2).

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein at least two electrodes (4a, 4b) are arranged on the stator (2).

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one reference capacitor is provided.

4. Device according to claim 3, wherein the reference capacitor is formed by at least one rotor electrode (3d) and at least one stator electrode (4c, 4d).

5. Device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the reference capacitor is connected to at least one stator electrode (4a, 4b).

6. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a voltage measuring device and / or a comparator with a rotor electrode (3) and / or a stator electrode (4) and / or a reference capacitor is connected.

7. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein two, three, four or more electrodes on the rotor (1) and / or on the stator (2) are provided.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the rotor and / or stator electrodes individually or in pairs have a mutually different geometry, in particular a different surface.

9. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one rotor electrode (3) and / or at least one stator electrode (4) has an annular portion.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein on the rotor (1) and / or stator (2) at least one electrode is provided which is opposite to the annular electrode region of the stator or rotor electrode.

11. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the rotor electrode (3) and / or the stator electrode (4) has a partially annular region.

12. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the rotor electrodes (3) and the stator electrodes (4) are arranged so that upon rotation of the rotor (1) relative to the stator (2) at a predetermined angle, a polarity reversal at least one rotor electrode (3) and / or stator electrode (4) can take place.

13. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one latching position of the rotor (1) in the stator (2) is provided.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the angle of rotation between two locking positions is so large that at least one of the rotor electrodes (3) and / or stator electrodes (4) can be reversed.

Apparatus for detecting the axial displacement of a displaceable element (1; D, G) with a measuring device (K; E, R) capable of detecting the position of the displaceable element (1; D, G).

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the measuring device is a pressure or force sensor (K).

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the measuring device is one or more slip rings or a variable resistor (R) with tapping electrode (E).

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the measuring device comprises at least one electrode in which the capacitive coupling is changed to a counter electrode in a shift.

19. Device according to one of claims 15 to 18, wherein a latching of the displaceable element (1; G, D) is provided in at least one position.

20. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one electrode (3, 4, E) is made of conductive plastic.

21. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the device is an infusion device or an injection device.

22. A method for measuring the rotational position of a rotor (1) having at least one electrode (3) relative to a stator (2) with at least one electrode (4), wherein the rotational position by the capacitive coupling of the rotor electrode (3) with the Stator electrode (4) is detected.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the degree of capacitive coupling of the rotor electrode (3) with the stator electrode (4) is determined by a voltage measurement.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the degree of capacitive coupling between the rotor electrode (3) and stator electrode (4) is effected by a current measurement.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein peak detection is performed to obtain a binary measurement signal.

26. The method according to any one of claims 22 to 25, wherein an error detection and / or an error correction based on the measured values.